Box Score

POMONA – Sophomore Kristin McNeese (Torrance) played her best volleyball of her short career and her teammates played a sound all-round game as 18th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona defeated visiting Alaska Fairbanks 3-0 in a match played in the Southern California Classic on Thursday at Darlene May Gym.

The Broncos earned a hard-fought 25-23, 25-23, 25-23 victory over the Nanooks in the season opener for both teams.

“You're always going to be pleased with that first win in the first match,'' Broncos coach Rosie Wegrich said. “We've got some work to do, but there were lots of positives tonight. We played an experience team and as you can tell, the score was tight. UAF exploited us on floor defense.

“This was a good win to start things off.''

The Broncos, who had nine attack errors in Game 2, cut that down to just three in Game 3 and finished that game with a .323 average. That stat and efficient serving in Game 3 were difference makers, Wegrich said.

“We cleaned up our serving in the final game,'' she said. “#Jasmine (Davis)# made a difference. Our trademark this year is going to ball control off the serve and off the block.''

McNeese led CPP with 12 kills and finished with a .300 attack percentage.

Senior Elizabeth Diaz (Escondido) and junior Courtney Alberi (Castaic) each had eight kills for CPP, which plays Ashland (Ohio) at 7 p.m. Friday in continuing play.

Megan Thigpen led UAF with 10 kills and Marybeth Wikander had four block assists in the loss.